Smallville: Arrival of an Amazon
by ImFanci
Summary: An Amazon arrives in Smallville on a mission, and, naturally, Clark assists her. A friendship develops between the future superheroes, Superman and Wonder Woman. Set sometime between Seasons 5 and 6.


**IF there was ever a ****Smallville**** episode featuring ****Diana****, it should be something like this (But that's just me): **(Disclaimer: Characters are property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers. This story is wishful thinking.) Written in August 2006.

**Smallville: Arrival of an Amazon**

Like any other major city with gleaming skyscrapers, Metropolis was a bustle of activity. Thousands of vehicles were cluttering the streets, leaving one starting point and ending somewhere else, but sometimes coming to a standstill at different intersections. Tens of thousands of people were walking about the sidewalks, rushing toward their various destinations. Some were engaged in conversations with loved ones, friends, or coworkers, while others without companions were lost to their own thoughts.

Clark Kent, happy to be finished with his chores for the day on his family farm in Smallville, made the quick trip to Metropolis in no time at all. Literally.

Chloe Sullivan, one of his closest friends, had asked him to stop by the Daily Planet, where, from time to time, they would meet for lunch. She was tapping her fingers on her desk, impatiently waiting for him. She looked at her watch again. It was after two in the afternoon, and she was starving.

When Clark showed up, Chloe greeted him with a big smile and steered him back into the elevator he had just exited, "Great! You're here. All I've had today was coffee and a granola bar. There's a great hot dog stand around the corner."

As they walked along the sidewalk of the bustling city, Chloe was catching Clark up on the latest stories she was working on. Clark was always happy to listen to his friend rather than monopolize the conversation. "Clark, you should have seen the look this security guard's face when I questioned him about the missing jewels...what is it?"

Clark had stopped walking and Chloe had to turn around face him. His gaze was locked onto something ahead of them and she turned to see what had him stop in mid stride. "Oh", Chloe said.

Standing about thirty feet ahead of them was a breathtakingly beautiful woman. And very tall too. Judging from the way she was taking in her surroundings and the state of her attire, Chloe guessed she was a tourist. Chloe also made sure she was not mistaking this woman for a model in Greco-Roman attire by looking around for a professional photographer and their entourage. The young woman's white knee-length dress with matching white sash over the right shoulder wrapped around under her left arm, laced up sandals, and wide, heavy silver bracelets certainly made her difficult to go unnoticed. Her regal stance only emphasized her height and her perfect body.

Clark had first noticed her strange dress and then her lovely profile. But when she had turned into his direction still looking around her surroundings, he almost forgot to breathe. He thought Lana - and even Lois - were beautiful, and had come across other lovely young ladies, but this one was...magnificent. He could not tear his eyes away from her. As this gorgeous stranger scanned her surroundings in front of her, she caught Clark's gaze and held it. Her eyes were a startling blue color, and her long raven hair framed her exquisite face.

Diana had arrived in this city almost an hour ago, wandering about in fascination. The various buildings, vehicles, technologies, and especially the people here in the Patriarch's world were certainly different from what she was accustomed to on Themyscira. She also found that almost everyone had either glanced or stared at her wherever she went.

From time to time, she would catch a stare - most of them in surprise, some in mockery, a few in disapproval and many (especially from the men) with what she came quickly to comprehend as lustful. She assumed it was her dress that they were not used to seeing as she noticed she was the only one wearing her simple dress. But that did not make her uneasy at all.

There was one gaze that managed to hold her interest. It was another man's eyes. They were blue, similar to hers, but this one was unreadable. She saw that he was a very tall - taller than her - whose physique suggested that he was athletically built. He was also quite pleasing to look upon.

They continued to stare at one another. A shy smile had just started to cross Clark's face when the screeching of tires drew his attention, just in time for him to see a pick up truck crash into scaffolding in front of a building across the street.

The three story scaffolding began to buckle and threatened to collapse in moments. Fortunately, no one was working at the scaffolding at the time but dozens of pedestrians who were walking along there, and drivers and passengers in cars were scrambling to get away from the collapsing scaffolding.

Clark noticed a woman frantically trying to pick up her infant from their stroller and looking to make a run for their lives. Judging the time and distance, they would not make it. The driver of the pickup truck appeared unconscious and he would certainly be crushed as well.

Without another moment's hesitation, Clark was a blur of movement as he picked up the mother and infant and deposited them safely close to where he and Chloe were standing. That mother did not realize how they were safely transported but she was undoubtedly grateful for what just happened. Clark was about to rescue the driver of the pickup truck but he was already saved.

What he and the rest of the crowd saw was amazing.

The raven-haired beauty he was admiring moments ago had managed to carry the unconscious driver out of the truck. Clark could see that she was not straining her muscles or breaking a sweat - as if the fully-grown man did not weigh heavier than a newborn baby. She had moved incredibly fast, too.

The scaffolding started to collapse, but Diana already placed the unconscious man on the ground away from the chaos. She checked his pulse to make sure that he was still alive. She also felt his arms and legs for broken bones and found none. She was about to

But as a crowd started to close in on them, she stood up and flew away.

Shocked to their core, no one could believe what they just witnessed. The toga wearing woman simply took to the sky and disappeared from their sight.

Chloe and Clark quickly glanced at one another as Clark said with determination, "I'm going after her."

Chloe watched as her best friend disappeared right in front of her. Knowing Clark, he would be able to catch up to that mysterious woman. "This is going to be a good story." And she started to make her way back to the Daily Planet.

Diana had simply reacted to rescuing that man and did not regret it. But she made the mistake of drawing attention to herself as she knew that the people in Man's world were not ready for her. She needed to get away to regroup her thoughts and plans. She was far away from the city when she spotted a wooded area to land.

Having super vision came in handy as Clark was able to follow the flying woman. He may not be able to fly but he could certainly run faster than a speeding bullet. He watched as she flew down.

She landed gracefully in a quiet, wooded area. When Clark arrived right behind her, she was startled to find him there. She instantly changed her stance to indicate that she was ready for a fight.

Diana was shocked to find that she had been followed. He was the same young man in the city whose gaze she had captured. Not knowing if he was friend or foe, she braced herself for an attack.

Clark slowly raised his hands and said, "I have no intention of hurting or fighting you. I just want to know who you are" and with a goofy smile he cheekily added, "I come in peace." Diana held a guarded look on her face and continued to remain silent. "I was just curious about you. That's why I followed you... Hi. I'm Clark Kent." And he presented her with an outstretched hand.

She relaxed her stance somewhat and with a slight nod she replied, "I am Diana."

Her voice was melodious and he detected a slight accent but he could not place it. He lowered his outstretched hand, thinking that she may not know what a simple handshake was.

Since she did not appear to voluntarily provide more information about herself, Clark continued the introductions. "I'm guessing that you're not from around here. I'm from Smallville. Judging by how fast you can travel, it's not too far from here. If you'd like, I can escort you back to Metropolis if that's what you want. It wouldn't be any trouble at all." He paused as he still was not getting another word from her.

Then continued, "You saved that guy's life back there. That was amazing. And then you...flew away. I've never seen anyone do that before. That was amazing." _Great. I just used that same line again_, Clark thought he sounded like a stuttering school boy back in freshman year of high school.

Diana continued to silently study him. He was intriguing. He stood tall with a secure confidence, yet he seemed somewhat timid.

Clark thought he was going to have a one-way conversation until he noticed that the corner of her mouth had twitched upwards and she replied, "I only helped one man survive. You, on the other hand, saved two lives."

At Clark's surprised look, she continued, "Although you moved with a speed I have never seen before, I saw, though for the briefest of moments, you save that woman and her child." She tilted her head slightly and continued, "How is it that you were able to follow me? You are either a God or have been blessed by the Gods."

"Huh...oh...well, I have not been 'blessed' as you say it by the Gods and I am definitely not a God." Though slightly embarrassed, Clark was grinning ear to ear.

"Hermes is the only God I know who could move as fast as you. I do not know of any mortal possessing such a gift."

"You'd be surprised to know that I am not the only guy who can run that fast. I have a friend who can actually run faster than me". That intrigued Diana even more.

Clark's smile was becoming contagious as Diana started to smile. He suddenly felt as if time had stopped as he was once again struck by her ethereal beauty.

Diana made up her mind that she could be at ease with him. For now.

"You still have not answered my question," she said.

"Oh, right. You could say that I have enhanced vision and I can see through buildings and such," Clark sheepishly replied and hastily added as she narrowed her eyes, "But I can assure you that I have been a perfect gentlemen. What about you? I mean, since you can fly, are you a God...a Goddess?"

Diana let out a surprising laugh, "No, I am not a Goddess, but I have been blessed by them".

He liked her laugh.

She noticed he was about to ask more questions, so she filled him in with what she was able to tell him.

She briefed him that she came from an island that was blessed by Goddesses thousands of years ago. That Themyscira has been an undisturbed paradise for the Amazons, and that even though they were a nation of highly skilled warriors, their ultimate mission was peace. Diana hoped she was not being too naive giving him this much information about her people before questioning him herself.

Clark, in turn, volunteered that he was the last survivor from another planet. His birth parents had sent him to Earth to be raised by his adopted parents, and he learned that the powers he possessed came from the sun of this solar system. It had never been this easy explaining his true heritage before.

They both looked at each other in awe. What they both told each other was unbelievable, yet neither one of them doubted the other's story.

"What brought you to Metropolis?"

Diana told him the story of how the Amazons were once held captive by Heracles and his men, and that her mother, the Queen, led them to a revolt and expelled the men from Paradise. However, Heracles took something -- a sacred spear -- that belonged to the Amazons, and it disappeared with him. It had remained undiscovered until recently by archeologists. The Amazon's oracle informed Diana's people that the Spear of Athena was in this country, and the name Luthor Corp is currently in possession.

If left in the hands of mortal men for too long because of the Spear's mystical qualities, the Spear of Athena could be disastrous for the Amazons. Whoever held the Spear might one day be pointed to the hidden passageway to Themyscira, and expose the Amazons to a world they were not ready for.

It was decided that an Amazon would be chosen by the Queen to retrieve the ancient artifact as only one of them could leave the island. Since Diana knew she would not be chosen, she disobeyed her mother's orders and left to retrieve it before one could be chosen.

Although Clark still found the mythological story of Hercules farfetched, he knew that Lex Luthor had an obsession with collecting rare artifacts and did not doubt that he would have something like that. "I can definitely help you find this spear. I know the guy who owns Luthor Corp. Lex Luthor used to be a friend of mine. With a little help from another friend, you can get it back."

"Why would you assist me with my mission?" Diana asked.

"You saved a man's life and exposed your special gifts. And I guess I trust you. Trust that you're telling the truth." Clark took his cell phone out of his pocket, "Hey, Chloe. It's me...Yes, I did catch up with our friend...I'll fill you in later, but we need you to research something..." and turned slightly away from Diana to continue his brief explanation about the Spear to Chloe.

Diana was amazed that this stranger voluntarily offered his assistance. She also could not help but admire his profile as she continued to ponder this fortunate turn of events.

"Yeah, let me know as soon as you find something. You ARE the best." When he hung up the phone, he turned to Diana, "My friend, Chloe, can find out about anything so it shouldn't be a problem locating the Spear. I'm just curious. Why wouldn't you be chosen to get the spear back?"

"Because the Queen is my mother".

Clark nodded with understanding. "Yeah, I know how protective parents can be."

It suddenly dawned on him that she was a princess. "Oh, do I need to call you your Highness or bow to you?"

When she smiled and shook her head, he continued, "Before we go, can I suggest that we get you something that would attract less attention? You kinda stand out wearing that."

Diana nodded in agreement. "I suppose I do. Where shall we go?"

"I think you can borrow some of the clothes at the farm. If not, I'll call for reinforcements." Once again, Clark flashed his infectious smile, and Diana could not help but return it in kind. "Oh, I don't think it would be a good idea if you followed me home by way of air transportation. I don't think that Smallville is ready for someone who can fly, even though you can fly over Mach 3. Can you run fast?"

"Nowhere near as fast as you," she said.

Clark started to reach out for her, and then remembered his manners. "Would you mind if I...carried you?"

She gave him a look that could frighten even a hardened Amazon warrior, much less an ordinary mortal.

"Look, I do this all the time. I mean, I carry girls when they need saving. No, I don't mean that you need saving...I don't have my truck here to drive us...It would just save the time." He was looking very nervous and sweet.

Diana could not help but smile, and finally gave her approval. No man had ever picked her up before.

As he picked her up, she was surprised by his strength and the feel of his upper body against hers. The sensation of being held in a man's arms was new to her, and she realized she did not dislike the unfamiliar feeling. He did not appear to be straining his muscles or breaking a sweat either.

His face was only inches away. She could see the tiny flecks of green in his blue eyes, and that he had perfect skin over chiseled features. Not many people in the Patriarch's World, she noticed, had that privilege.

He could feel her eyes studying his face. Before he could involuntarily show her any more awkwardness on his part, he turned to her and smiled, "Hang on. We'll be there in a minute". And they both tightened their grip on each other.

***

"Blessed Hermes! That was exhilarating! I have never even flown that fast before. As fast as you run, are you certain you cannot fly?" Diana's eyes were sparkling with excitement.

Clark had already let Diana down. Diana's face was flushed from the new experience of running with him at the speed of light. He was once again taken in by her beauty and could not resist smiling with her.

He reluctantly turned away from her. With outstretched arms, he proclaimed, "Welcome to the Kent Farm. It's not much, but its home. Come on, let's go into the house and get you some new clothes." Clark spotted his mother's car. "Looks like my mom's home, too. You'll like her."

As they entered the house, Diana looked around in appreciation. The house was inviting with warmth, and the air smelled wonderful. She took a deep breath and found her stomach required sustenance.

Clark spotted some freshly baked goodies on the kitchen counter. "Oh, cool! Mom made muffins. Mom! I'm home...and I brought a friend."

"I'm in the living room, Clark. There's a report on the news that a girl was seen flying after helping someone. Some are calling her an angel. You should take a look at the sketches they have of...Oh. Hello." Martha stopped in shock at the stranger standing next to her son.

Martha turned to look back at the television screen and back at Diana. "I guess you already know, Clark." Remembering her manners, Martha reached out to shake Diana's hand and give her a warm smile. "Hello. I'm Clark's mom. You can call me Martha".

Diana smiled in return and took Martha's hand. She guessed from Clark's earlier gesture of an outstretched hand that this was a customary greeting protocol. "My name is Diana. It is an honor to meet you."

"Mom, Diana's on a mission, and I'll be helping her. She needs a change of clothes, so I thought you could help her with that." Clark gave a brief explanation of what happened in Metropolis, how he followed and introduced himself to Diana, where she came from, and what she was here for. He only spared a moment to look at his mother since he could not keep his eyes off Diana.

Martha, like everyone else who laid eyes on Diana, was captivated by her presence. Giving Clark a sideways glance, she knew that Clark was smitten. Diana was certainly breathtaking and seemed genuinely sincere. As a mother would be concerned, she only hoped that Clark was not being manipulated and that he would not be hurt in the end.

Without further reservations, Martha turned to Diana, "Let's go upstairs, sweetie, and see what we can put you in. You can tell me all about yourself and how you met my son while we find you something else to wear. And if we hurry, maybe my son will leave enough muffins for us."

About three blueberry muffins and twenty minutes later, Clark heard his mother and Diana coming down the stairs. "Well, we had to compromise on the outfit. I gave Diana this shirt that's too big for me and a pair of your jeans." Martha did not think Clark was paying any attention to what she was saying.

Clark was too busy admiring his jeans that hugged Diana's hips and the red form-fitting shirt that fell just below her navel with the sleeves just stopping past her elbows. She still kept her sandals and her silver bracelets but they only made her look like a rock star. How anyone could make a simple button-downed shirt and jeans sexy was beyond him.

Clearing his throat, Clark offered Diana a muffin. "These are great. You gotta try one - if you've never had one before. Mom makes the best. While you were upstairs, I spoke to Chloe and she's still researching. So if you want, I can show you around town - we can get something to eat." He realized he was rambling again and hoped his grin was enough to make up for it.

Martha could only make a slight roll of her eyes and nod of her head. Neither Clark nor Diana noticed her. She was still amazed that her son could still be shy around the opposite sex.

"That sounds...great, as you say it. Patriarch's world is much different than I imagined." Diana had at first been apprehensive about the clothes she was wearing but after seeing that Clark found them agreeable, she relaxed.

Martha had spent some time looking around for clothes suitable for her to wear for her brief time in Man's world. For a woman to show such warm hospitality to a stranger based on her son's request meant that she trusted her son's judgment. Diana was grateful.

She took a bite of the muffin that Clark handed her. With a surprised look and small moan of pleasure, she acknowledged to Martha that she was enjoying every bite of the scrumptious muffin. "Forgive my voracity. We have baked goods on the island but I have never tasted anything like this." She washed down the remainder of the muffin with a glass of milk Clark eagerly handed her.

"Well, if you two are going out, it's going to be a bit chilly later so make sure you both are wearing jackets. Here, Diana, you can borrow one of Clark's." She handed Diana a blue-colored jacket as Clark was already wearing his favorite red jacket over a blue shirt and jeans.

Diana started to raise her hand in refusal. "Oh, I am comfortable. The cold air does not bother me."

"It doesn't bother Clark either, but just in case, I don't want you to go back home with a cold. I am a mother, and I'm sure that your mother would do the same thing if she were in my shoes." Martha said.

"If Clark were to appear on Themyscira right now, he would be facing an army of Amazons, led by my mother, eager to oust any man who entered our realm without permission," Diana replied with a grin. Clark appreciated the humor, but Martha appeared horrified, so Diana quickly added, "He would be alright as I would represent him as a welcomed visitor."

"Since you two kids are going into town, I can drop you off. I have to get a few things at the grocery store," Martha said as she grabbed her jacket and purse.

The three of them walked over to Martha's car. Diana had seen vehicles of all shapes and sizes in Metropolis, but she had not experienced traveling in one. She surmised that it would be similar to riding a chariot but with more comfort as the car had seats available for its passengers.

As they reached the car, Martha pulled her keys out of her purse and unintentionally pulled out her cell phone as well. Not realizing in time that the keys were pulling the cell phone by its antenna, Martha dropped the phone. It fell to the soft ground and bounced its way under the car. "Oh, shoot. Clark, honey, it landed in the middle. Would you mind?"

Since Clark was already by the front passenger side of the car, he was coming back around to help when Diana, who was already standing next to Martha, beat him to it.

Clark did not fully realize Diana's strength until she lifted the car up from its side without effort. Both Martha and Clark were stunned to see that Diana possessed incredible strength.

Diana motioned for Clark to pick up the phone while she held up the car.

As Diana put the car gently back on the ground, Martha announced, "Looks like Clark isn't the only one with super-strength."

Still a bit flustered by what she had just seen, Martha urged the two young people in the car so that they could get on the road.

***

Martha dropped Clark and Diana off on a corner of the main street and continued on her way to the grocery store.

They were walking side by side with Clark pointing out places and giving brief descriptions.

Diana appreciated the tour of the unfamiliar surroundings. She noticed the similarities and differences between the bustling city of Metropolis and the calm of Smallville. She was certainly more relaxed in Smallville.

Walking along the sidewalk, Clark and Diana passed a group of children leaving an ice cream parlor. Each child thoroughly enjoying the cones and cups in their hands; their faces smeared with their favorite flavors.

Diana was fascinated by the children. She had also seen children in Metropolis and was equally interested then. Since she was the only child brought up on Themyscira, she had never seen another child until this day. She could not explain to herself why she was smiling just looking at the children.

When she caught Clark looking at her with a questioning look, she answered, "I am not used to seeing children since I was the only child on the island."

They stopped their tour and went into the local pizza parlor where Clark introduced Diana to her first pizza. As they sat and enjoyed their meal, many curious glances kept coming their way.

Diana could not resist remarking, "Clark, am I not dressed more appropriately, or are people in your world used to staring at one another?"

Taking another sip of soda before answering her, Clark replied, "This is a small town and most people know one another. So seeing someone new will pique their curiosity - especially when they're not used to seeing someone so beautiful."

The Amazons often gave praises freely to one another, and each time a recipient accepted without conceit. Diana learned from an early age that praises and compliments were always earned. For another first, Diana was not used to receiving compliments on her looks from a man, and that last remark from Clark was one that made her blush.

They both exchanged awkward smiles so they continued the task of finishing the pizza pie as neither one was sure how to follow Clark's compliment. To combat the nervous silence, Clark asked Diana to tell him more about Themyscira, which she was more than happy to do. Once the pie was gone, they walked out of the parlor and Clark continued being the tour guide.

As they continued to walk comfortably together along the sidewalk, a young blond man and young redheaded woman holding hands came out of a store about ten feet ahead of them.

The young man halted his steps to pull the redhead into his arms. He kissed her with ardent fervor. The young woman matched the man's passion equally.

Clark had already noticed that Diana was intrigued by the sight before them.

Diana had never seen this display of affection between a man and woman, and like many things in Man's world, was fascinated by it. As the couple continued their kiss, Diana glanced at Clark to see that he was not at ease with this couple's affectionate display in front of them. She could not help but wonder how often her new friend had done the same thing with other women.

As she was about to look away from him, Clark turned to her with devilish gleam in his eyes, and forced a cough for the benefit of the couple. The couple broke from their embrace and turned in the direction of the cough. They both looked at Clark and Diana with sheepish grins.

"Excuse us," the young woman whispered. The couple turned and walked away, still holding on to each other.

"I gather that not all men and women bound together by their hearts show that much affection in public."

"With all that groping? Not generally." Clark almost forgot Diana came from an island of women. It did not occur to him that she has never been kissed by a guy before. That thought just led to a brush of naughty male fantasies and Clark chided himself for even thinking about them. "Come on, the Talon is one door away. That's where we can get the best latte."

Clark extended his hand to Diana, showing that he appreciated her company. Diana took his hand.

As they walked into the Talon hand in hand, they ran into two people Clark hoped he would not have to run into.

Lex Luthor and Lana Lang. With their arms still locked together in a comfortable embrace, Lex and Lana looked at Clark, then to Diana and back to Clark. They both noticed that Clark and Diana were holding hands. Lex's steely gaze had a hint of amusement. Lana looked somewhat uncomfortable but tried not to show it. Especially when Lana noticed the jacket Diana was wearing.

Diana gave Clark a sideways glance. Although his hand that held hers was in a relaxed hold, she felt his body tense as the two strangers in front of her continued to exchange expectant looks. Her instincts told her that the uncomfortable silence stemmed from the current relationship of Clark and these two people.

"Hello Clark. I see you have a new friend." Lex extended an outstretched hand to Diana while still holding Lana to his left. "My name is Lex, and this is my girlfriend, Lana."

Clark gave no indication that Lex's use of the word 'girlfriend' affected him as his eyes were fixed steadily on Lex's. It had been almost a year since Clark broke off his relationship with Lana, but Clark was still not at ease with Lana's relationship with Lex.

Curiously enough, Clark found that he was not feeling the usual stirrings of jealousy and longing at the moment as he usually did whenever he saw them together. He stole a glance at Diana.

Since Clark had told her that Lex was the one who held the Spear she came to find, Diana inwardly tensed when she heard his name. She could also see that his politeness was merely a civil salutation and nothing more. "I am Diana." She smiled in return as she accepted his hand, giving his handshake a very strong grip.

Lex was a master at masking emotions. Even when Diana let go of his hand, he did not give any indication that there was a tingling feeling as if the blood had drained and was flowing back into his hand.

To Lana, Diana gave her a genuinely warm smile. Even though Lana smiled back at her, Diana noticed that Lana's smile did not quite reach her eyes either.

Since Clark was showing no sign of offering any small talk, Lana broke the invisible tension in the air, "We were on our way out to catch a movie so we really must be going. Nice to meet you." And she nudged a reluctant Lex towards the exit doors.

When Lana believed they were out of hearing range, she confided to Lex. "Wow. She's certainly gorgeous. Did you see that she was wearing his jacket? I wonder where she's from."

"She seems……interesting. I'm sure Clark will fill us in if he wants to." Lex escorted her out the door.

As they waited for their lattes, Clark's cell phone rang and he answered it. "Hey, Chloe. We're at the Talon. You're still at the Planet? Okay, we'll meet you in a minute," Turning to Diana he added, "Chloe is still in Metropolis. She has some information for us."

The clerk behind the counter was just about to start making their lattes. Clark asked him to hold off on them. Looking over his shoulder and glancing at Diana, Clark added, "My friend and I need to step outside for a few minutes."

The clerk, who had been staring at Diana since he saw her come in with Clark, replied to him. "Sure, dude, no problem. I'll still be here," The clerk wished he could trade places with Clark to have a moment of privacy with a woman like that.

They made their way back to Metropolis, and into the building of the Daily Planet. While they were on the telephone moments earlier, Chloe told Clark she was the only person in the office. Clark and Diana traveled non-stop until they reached the office floor.

They were greeted by a beaming petite blonde.

Introductions were made once again, and this time, Diana saw that Chloe was genuinely pleased to meet her. Diana felt the same, considering that Chloe was helping her without reserve. It was apparent to Diana that Chloe was Clark's most trusted friend, who would keep his true identity in confidence to the grave if necessary.

Chloe briefed Clark and Diana on the information she had gathered regarding the Spear of Athena, but said she would not be able to pinpoint its whereabouts. "There are only a few Luthor-Corp-owned buildings that Lex may store some of his interesting collections. I just haven't been able to narrow it down to exactly which one."

"Can I be of assistance?" Diana asked.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I'll have your answer tomorrow. Clark, just make sure you and Diana meet me back here."

"Guess there's nothing much we can do right now," Clark nodded.

"I don't want to seem rude by asking you to leave, but Jimmy will be here soon. I told him I was working late on a project. We haven't been spending a lot of alone time together, so he offered to bring me dinner. Would you mind?"

"Not at all. You've done enough research for us tonight."

Diana added, "I look forward to meeting with you again."

Clark and Diana graciously left Chloe just as her boyfriend emerged from the elevator.

They got back to Smallville, and walked back into the Talon. The clerk, who had been eagerly waiting for Clark and Diana to return, spotted them, and prepared their lattes. The clerk was happy to catch another look at Diana.

Diana smiled at Clark as she took a sip of the flavorful drink that he handed to her. She found something else she liked about Patriarch's World.

When they got back to the farm, Clark showed Diana his 'fortress of solitude' above the barn. The loft was comfortably equipped with a couch, table, and chairs. It was also cluttered with his telescope, numerous books, posters of constellations, and other things Clark held dear.

Clark bent down and reached out for something. Tucked away was another book that Clark opened up and showed Diana. It contained hieroglyphs that Diana had never seen before. He explained to her that it was given to him by a professor he was once knew. That professor had logged in as many Kryptonian glyphs as possible, and interpreted them. In it also contained Krypton's history, his biological parents' wishes, and his true name – Kal-El.

Clark was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Diana about all this. She could certainly be someone he could be himself with.

Diana, in turn, was very comfortable with Clark. Growing up on the island as an only child yet loved by those around her, Diana never had a true friend to just talk to. And she found that he could be someone she could be herself with.

It was a little after eleven when they walked back to the house.

Martha was dozing on the couch, but she straightened up as soon as she heard them enter the house. At Martha's orders, Diana was given Clark's room to sleep in, while Clark happily slept on the couch.

***

The next morning, Clark cooked the three of them breakfast. Diana watched as Clark was impressively adept at maneuvering around the kitchen, while Martha read the morning paper at the dining table.

With a twinkle in her eyes, Diana remarked, "I thought that only women cooked in a household in Man's world. Clark, am I mistaking you for a female?"

"There ARE some men in this world who make it a profession to cook for people. And I happen to enjoy cooking for my mother and our guest -- that's you by the way. Any more remarks like that, and I won't feed you. I know what an appetite you have," Clark was thoroughly enjoying her company and found Diana's sense of humor refreshing.

As they were getting ready to leave for Metropolis, a brown-haired blaze of charged energy barged into the Kent house, holding a large stack of documents in her arms as she marched past the kitchen to the dining room.

"Good morning! Senator, are you ready to spend the morning looking over some prop -- Oh, you have a guest," The tall raven-haired woman standing next to Clark looked like a supermodel out of _Cosmo_. But without a stitch of makeup on! What was she doing with a farm hand like Clark? Lois was curious to find out.

Martha stepped forward. "Hi, Lois. Let me take some of that off your hands. We can start looking over these proposals for the new schools," Martha knew her assistant was a shrewd young woman whose curiosity could lead to disasters, and so she tried to hasten Clark and Diana's departure.

Lois did not seem to hear Martha as she continued to look at Clark and Diana. "Well, Smallville? Are you forgetting your manners? Introductions?"

"Hey, Lois. This is Diana. Diana, this is Lois. Lois works for my mom. Diana's visiting us from...Greece and I was just showing her around town."

Both women exchanged salutations though Lois' smile was accompanied by suspicion.

"It is a pleasure meeting another one of Clark's friends. He has been a very gracious host, and I could not have been more fortunate."

"Oh. Where did you two meet?" Lois asked.

"Metropolis," Clark replied.

When Lois saw that Clark was not going to elaborate, she turned to Diana. "I've been to Greece. Are you from Athens?"

"No," Diana answered.

"Santorini?"

"No."

"How about Crete?"

This time, Diana shook her head.

"Okay. So where are you from?"

"I come from a small island. You probably have never heard of it."

"Try me."

"Themyscira."

"You're right. I haven't heard of that one. Where exactly is that?"

"If you'll excuse us, we have someplace we need to be," Clark shot Lois a look that said she was annoying him. He also guided Diana out the door ever so gently, so that she did not mistake his hand on her arm as manhandling.

After a moment of staring at the closed door, Lois turned to Martha. "There's something about her I don't like. I can't place my finger on it. Wait a minute, was she wearing his jeans?"

***

The Daily Planet was a hub of activity. Chloe was sitting at her desk with her fingers clicking away on the keyboard of her computer when Diana and Clark arrived. Despite the comings and goings of her colleagues, Chloe's visitors were usually ignored. Most of them were used to seeing Clark visit her on occasion. There were some new and appreciative glances towards Diana, but no one bothered to stop and interfere with one of the Planet's greenest reporters.

Chloe was able to give Clark and Diana the location of where the Spear of Athena was being kept in Metropolis. It only took a few moments for Diana and Clark to begin and complete planning their course of action.

"Wow, watching and listening to you two it's like you're part of some sort of super hero league." Chloe pointed out their similar attire of Clark's red jacket over blue t-shirt and jeans, and Diana's borrowed blue jacket over red t-shirt and jeans.

Diana and Clark exchanged quick glances at each other's clothing as it had not occurred to either one of them that they were similarly dressed. Neither one of them made a comment.

Before Clark and Diana left, Diana thanked Chloe once again for her help. Chloe wished them both luck as they headed out.

A short time later, they reached the gated Luthor Corp compound. Diana pulled Clark to her, flew over the high fence, and landed them gently on the other side.

A couple of guard dogs came by, baring their teeth, and poising to attack them. Diana slowly approached the menacing dogs with an outstretched open palm.

What Clark saw next bewildered him. Amazingly, Diana somehow managed to befriend the guard dogs. Both dogs were happily wagging their tails and licking her hands, and they let Diana and Clark just walk by them.

"How did you...?"

At Clark's puzzled look, Diana grinned at him and replied. "I have a way with animals."

Surveillance cameras were either avoided or disabled with Clark's heat vision, which Diana remarked that it was "impressive" the first time she watched him melt the circuits.

Inside the main building, they avoided the patrolling guards as they made their way to the vaulted rooms. They found several doors. Each door made with lead which made it impossible for Clark to see through them. "Guess there's only one way to find out."

He opened the first door closest to them effortlessly as the technologically graded locks broke away like twigs from a branch. When they did not find what they were looking for, they headed to the next door. Clark smiled, and gestured to Diana to have the honor of opening the next one - which she did just as easily as he had.

As she opened the door wider to view the items inside the room, Clark doubled over. She turned in shock to see that his face was contorted in pain. Diana quickly scanned the room. She spotted a glowing green rock, and immediately shut the door.

Diana bent down towards Clark to see that his breathing was still labored but he was quickly recovering. "I gather that was the Kryptonite you mentioned. Hera, I am sorry you were exposed to it."

"Don't be. It's no problem at all. I'm fine. See? Good as new." He said, as he stood back up to his full height and gave her a reassuring smile.

Diana moved on to the next door, "Please stand back. I do not want you hurt again in case there is another one in here." She opened the door. The room did not contain another piece of Kryptonite, but it did contain the Spear.

On the far wall of the room, the Spear was propped against it with other weapons that appeared almost as ancient throughout the room. She recognized the Spear from paintings around Themyscira. She walked in and carefully retrieved it. She turned to Clark with a dazzling smile. "Great Olympus! This is it, Clark. We do not need to look any further."

"Then let's get out of here before we get a welcome wagon. Ladies first." Clark gestured to Diana to lead the way.

They left as easily as they came.

Clark and Diana returned to the Daily Planet. Because the Spear would have attracted unwanted attention, Chloe met them in an alley behind the building. Seeing the pleased looks on their faces and an ancient looking spear in Diana's hand, Chloe easily guessed that the mission was accomplished.

Fascinated by the Spear, Chloe asked Diana if she could examine it for a moment, and Diana obliged.

Clearing his dry throat, Clark said," You know, Diana, if you don't have to go home right away, you could stay with my mom and me for another night. We still have the rest of the day to hang out together...if you want to, that is."

Chloe took a second to pry her eyes away from the Spear, and glanced at Clark and Diana. Chloe rolled her eyes, and slowly shook her head at the way Clark suddenly became shy. Since neither one of them was paying attention to her, Chloe returned her focus on the Spear.

"Yes, I would very much like that," Diana answered. There was no hesitation in Diana's voice, and she could not disguise the pleasure the invitation gave her.

Chloe stole another quick look at them, and she could not remember the last time she saw Clark's face as elated as it was at that moment. These two were grinning like fools, and she could not help but smile with them.

Chloe was pleasantly surprised how easily Diana hugged her, and called her 'sister' as they said their farewells.

Clark and Diana were just outside the city limits of Metropolis when Clark stopped and put Diana down.

It was Diana's turn to treat him to her blessed form of travel. They stepped comfortably into each others arms. As she looked up at his handsome face, she had a twinkle in her eyes and asked, "Are you ready?"

Clark looked down at her exquisite face with the same look and replied, "Ready."

And they took to the clear blue sky. Diana always found that soaring through the air was exhilarating. Looking at Clark's face, he was enjoying their flight as well. As she picked up speed, they took a tighter hold to each other. Diana was amazed at how well they fit together.

Not only did Clark relish the feel of speeding through the open air but he was also enjoying how wonderfully Diana felt in his arms.

A short time later, they landed at the Kent farm. "Wow! That was awesome. I didn't realize flying was that cool. Thanks, Diana."

Clark and Diana hid the Spear away in Clark's room, and spent the rest of the day getting to know each other more. After a hearty lunch of turkey sandwiches and homemade potato salad, they decided to test each other's strengths.

Inside the barn, they took turns lifting heavy objects such as the tractor and bending steel pipes the way a clown would make balloon animals. They were tossing bales of hay from one end of the barn to the other as another test. After an arm wrestling match that broke a work bench, it appeared that Clark possessed slightly more physical strength than Diana.

When Martha came inside to see if Clark and Diana wanted cookies and lemonade, she took one look around and scolded them for making a mess. Both Diana and Clark gave Martha apologetic yet sheepish looks, and promised that they were going to clean up the mess of tools and overturned objects strewn all around the barn.

As soon as Martha walked out of the barn, Clark and Diana exploded into a fit of laughter as if they were little children.

Martha heard them laughing as she walked away, and smiled. She was pleased that Clark had a friend he could openly share his secret with, and who also shared some of the same powers.

Clark picked up the last piece of pipe and straightened it to its original form. "I know where we can still test each other and we don't have to worry about making a mess if you're up for it."

"That sounds like a good idea," Diana was always up for a challenge.

They walked out of the barn and headed far out onto the fields where they did not have to worry about prying eyes.

Even though Clark was a little bit stronger than her, Diana showed him that she was the better fighter.

For years, she had been trained to be a highly skilled warrior. She made examples out of Clark's lack of training, and taught him some moves that he found handy. He was in awe of her.

At one point, Diana pulled Clark over her shoulder to throw him down. Clark got a hold of her arm and pulled her down with him. Caught off guard, she landed on top of him.

They grinned at each other as their faces were only several inches apart. As they continued to stare at each other, the feeling of amusement began to ebb away.

Emotions of happiness mixed with curiosity and desire were coursing through Diana. This combination was too new for her. They conflicted with her training to never yield to a man.

Yet, she could not help but wonder what it would feel like to touch her lips to his. She was unprepared for this. She was almost afraid, and Diana was as fearless a warrior as they came.

Clark was feeling the same mix of happiness and desire. Diana was certainly different in so many ways. With other women, he had to be gentle with them for fear of breaking their bones. He did not have to worry about crushing her with his strength or hiding his true heritage. The beautiful Amazon above him was not fragile, but she was definitely all-woman, and she certainly had a strong effect on him.

If he kissed her right now, would she rip off his head?

With each passing moment, their faces inched closer. Their lips were almost touching. This was as tempting as one could imagine.

In one swift move, Diana pushed herself off Clark and stood up. Her face flushed with embarrassment, so she turned away from him.

Clark took a little longer to pull himself up. Extinguishing the fire within him took concentration. He was a little disappointed, but not upset. He figured Diana had never been this close to any man before, and it overwhelmed her. What could he say to her?

"Diana, its okay…With what just happened….I understand…Really," This was the first time since he met her that Diana seemed shy and a little unsure of her self as she turned back around to face him.

With his hands in his pockets and a puppy-dog look on his face, Diana gained her confidence back. "I'm sorry. I am just unaccustomed to being in such close proximity to a man."

"No need to apologize. Actually, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've known better than to try to seduce a fearless Amazon," Clark's wide grin and his attempt to alleviate the awkward situation was appreciated and welcomed by Diana. "We should head on back to the house. Mom probably has dinner ready."

Later that evening, the three of them shared a delicious home-cooked dinner that Martha prepared. And for their guest of honor, she baked chocolate cake. Between Clark and Diana, she could not tell who ate more of it, and realized the cake was gone before she finished her small piece.

After Martha retired for the evening, Diana and Clark stayed up and talked some more. Neither wanted to end the evening. They watched some television together. While watching some television shows, Diana kept asking Clark all kinds of questions. He was happy to answer them all.

Eventually, the evening ended when Clark noticed the time was well past two in the morning.

Diana, once again, slept in Clark's room while Clark slept on the couch. As she drifted off to a dreamless sleep, a small smile tugged at her lips as she inhaled the now familiar scent on the pillows and sheets that belonged to Clark.

***

The next morning's mood was quiet. Martha made breakfast this time, and she tried her best to keep a chipper tone. She noticed that both Clark and Diana were not as gleeful as they had been the day before. Few words were exchanged as they ate breakfast. She surmised that they were both equally affected by Diana's scheduled departure. Martha was going to miss Diana as well.

Clark escorted Diana back to Metropolis. They arrived at the harbor, and stood at an alley between some warehouses. He made sure that they could say their farewells without prying eyes and ears.

Diana was once again dressed in her own clothes. Holding the Spear in one hand and the soft ocean breeze blowing her hair, she looked like a vision out of Greek mythology.

They faced each other, and knew that saying their goodbyes was not going to be easy.

"We made a great team, Diana."

"Yes, we did, Clark."

"I wish you didn't have to go."

"Perhaps, I will have the opportunity to come back and visit you. Though, I am uncertain when that can be."

"I'd like that anyway."

"As would I."

"These last few days...I've grown to like you a lot."

"I feel as you do. When I came to this world, I didn't think that a man would be the one person I should find it difficult to say goodbye to."

"Then, this isn't a goodbye. I'm sure that we'll run into each other again."

Clark and Diana stepped closer to each other, and held on tightly once more. As they started to pull back from each other, Diana impulsively planted a feathery kiss on Clark's lips.

They looked into each other's eyes with surprise and delight, but it was soon followed by disappointment as neither one of them wanted to pull away.

Before another moment's hesitation could take over, Diana pulled herself away from his embrace, and turned around before he could see her distressed face. She was gathering up her emotions to leave. _Hera, you are an Amazon, Diana! Not a weak mortal female. You do not show vulnerability –- especially to a man._

Clark was about to reach out to her, to comfort her as much as to comfort himself, but she turned around with a fixed smile on her lovely face.

"I will miss you. I will be eternally grateful for your friendship," And Diana turned to fly off clutching the Spear, but not before she heard Clark reply, "I'll miss you, too."

As she reached higher into the clouds, she felt her eyes brim with tears, but once again, her warrior's resolve did not allow them to escape. When she got home, she was not going to forget Clark, but he would not occupy her every thought.

The moment she was out of sight, Clark realized how alone and empty he felt now that Diana was gone. He was just getting used to her. Having someone around who shared some of the same powers that no one else could understand was wonderful.

Looking back up towards where he last saw her, he hoped that Diana would come back one day. She was definitely unforgettable. With a small sigh, he turned, and sped back home to Smallville.

The End


End file.
